His ways are always grievous; your judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffs at them.
His
Genesis 6:12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
Proverbs 1:19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.
Proverbs 2:13,15 Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness; …
thy judgments
Psalm 92:5,6 O LORD, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep…
Proverbs 15:24 The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.
Proverbs 24:1 Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.
he puffeth
Psalm 12:5 For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.
Judges 9:27,38 And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech…
2 Samuel 5:6 And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither: thinking, David cannot come in hither.
Your lofty judgments are far from him;
This phrase indicates the spiritual blindness or willful ignorance of the wicked towards God's judgments. The "lofty judgments" refer to God's righteous decrees and moral laws, which are beyond human understanding and often ignored by those who are self-reliant. This can be connected to Romans 1:18-32, where Paul describes how people suppress the truth and become futile in their thinking. The distance of God's judgments from the wicked highlights their separation from divine wisdom and understanding, a theme echoed in Isaiah 55:8-9, where God's thoughts and ways are higher than human ways.
he sneers at all his foes.
The sneering attitude of the wicked towards their enemies reflects arrogance and pride, common traits condemned throughout Scripture (Proverbs 16:18). This behavior is indicative of a heart hardened against God and others, often leading to further sin and eventual downfall. The cultural context of the ancient Near East often involved honor and shame dynamics, where public scorn was a powerful tool. Biblically, this attitude is contrasted with the humility and meekness exemplified by Jesus Christ, who taught love for enemies and humility (Matthew 5:44, Philippians 2:5-8). The ultimate defeat of such arrogance is prophesied in passages like Psalm 37:12-13, where the Lord laughs at the wicked, knowing their day is coming.
“He is secure in his ways at all times” (Psalm 10:5a) pictures the wicked man strolling through life with self-confidence that borders on invincibility.
• He interprets prolonged ease as proof that his path is right—“Behold, these are the wicked—always carefree, they increase in wealth” (Psalm 73:12).
• God’s patience is mistaken for approval, echoing Ecclesiastes 8:11: “Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed swiftly, the heart of men is fully set on doing evil.”
• Like the rich fool who said, “Soul, you have plenty of goods laid up for many years” (Luke 12:19-20), he forgets that life and breath are God’s gifts.
• Job 12:6 adds, “The tents of marauders are safe, and those who provoke God are secure,” showing that apparent stability can attend even open rebellion—for a season.
The verse exposes the delusion that peace and prosperity guarantee God’s favor; Proverbs 14:12 reminds: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”
“Your lofty judgments are far from him” (Psalm 10:5b) reveals why the wicked feels untouchable: he lives oblivious to God’s verdicts.
• God’s standards soar “as the heavens are higher than the earth” (Isaiah 55:8-9), yet the arrogant heart neither seeks nor senses them.
• Romans 2:4-5 warns that despising God’s kindness stores up wrath “because of your stubborn and unrepentant heart.”
• Psalm 50:21 records the Lord’s rebuke: “You thought I was exactly like you.” Such small thoughts about God push His judgments to “a far country” in the sinner’s mind.
• 2 Peter 3:9-10 reminds us that delay in judgment is mercy, not impotence; a day is coming “like a thief” when every hidden work will be exposed.
When a man refuses divine counsel, the very truths meant to save him become, in his experience, distant and irrelevant.
“He sneers at all his foes” (Psalm 10:5c) shows pride ripening into open contempt.
• Psalm 73:8-9 says of the arrogant, “They mock and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression.”
• Psalm 12:4 captures their boast: “With our tongues we will prevail; our lips are our own—who can be lord over us?”
• Proverbs 16:18 cautions, “Pride goes before destruction,” while 1 Peter 5:5 declares, “God opposes the proud.”
• Even the end-times beast “opens his mouth to blaspheme God” (Revelation 13:6), previewing the ultimate outcome of unchecked defiance.
Mockery may cow human opponents, but it cannot silence the Lord, who “laughs” at vain rebellion (Psalm 2:4) and will judge every idle word (Matthew 12:36).
Psalm 10:5 traces a chilling progression: careless security, willful ignorance of God’s righteous standards, and brazen contempt for anyone who stands in the way. Scripture affirms that apparent stability is fleeting, God’s judgments are certain, and pride ensures downfall. The passage calls believers to trust the Lord’s timing and justice, and to shun the false confidence that exalts self over God.
(5) His ways are always grievous.--Better, his enterprises always succeed. This meaning is obtained from Job 20:21, "nothing escaped his covetousness, therefore his prospering shall not last," and from the cognate of the verb "strength." Perhaps, however, "his ways are always strong" implies only the bold and reckless course with which a tyrant pursues his end. (Comp. Psalm 73:12.)Thy judgments . . . .--Literally, a height thy judgments far above him. (Comp. Psalm 36:6.)
Puffeth--i.e., in scorn. (Comp. Psalm 12:5.) South uses the word in this sense, "It is really to defy heaven to puff at damnation, and bid omnipotence do its work." It is especially forcible after the description of the haughty attitude of the wicked, with his nose high in the air, snorting out contempt against his foes, disdaining God and man alike.
Verse 5. - His ways are always grievous; lather, firm; i.e. steadfast and consistent, not wavering and uncertain. The thoroughly wicked person who "neither fears God nor regards man," pursues the course which he has set himself, without deviation, turning neither to the right hand nor to the left. There is nothing to hinder him - no qualm of conscience, no distrust of himself, no fear of other men's opposition. Thy judgments are far above out of his sight. They are held in reserve; he does not foresee them - he does not believe in them. As for all his enemies, he puffeth at them. His human adversaries he wholly despises, believing that a breath from his month will bring them to nothing.